[TowerTalk] DCU-1

At 03:26 PM 5/2/97 -0500, you wrote:
>At 02:29 PM 5/2/97 -0400, you wrote:
>
>>Aren't these DCU-1 control boxes kind of expensive for what you get? Do
>>you guys really feel like it is worth the extra money? Just curious.
>
>I agree! I would think that, since the analog indicator meter simply samples
>small current changes to determine it's readings, that it would be a simple
>matter of one of you "technical gurus" building a small digital "box" to
>attach externally to any existing CDE/HyGain rotor.
>
>How about it? Or am I all wet!
>
>Chuck Sudds K0TVD
>Missouri Valley, IA USA
>
If you're lucky enough to find one, Heath used to make an Intellirotor
controller for the HamIV/T2X/HDR300 rotors. They were found at a fleamarket
a few years ago for less than $200 each. The keypad allows you to enter a
bearing, or pick your target by lat/long, grid square, country name or
callsign prefix. It also has up to 10 memory presets or just old-fashioned
manual CCW/CW keys. You can even specify SP/LP before you engage it. Some
other features: LCD status display (not backlit unfortunately), built-in
programmable brake delay (nice), adjustable coastdown range, reverses
direction slightly on startup (probably great for T2X's), calendar/clock, CW
ID of bearing, battery backup, and a protection timer to keep the power
transformer from overheating. It also has an RS-232 port for computer
control and came with a DOS-only control program which could be loaded as a
TSR popup window. There are a few logging programs which support it if I'm
not mistaken. I have two of these controllers, and no, I'm not willing to
part with any of them!
73, Stan N3KK
sjchen@ibm.net
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